While serving in ministry, we often have to fight many discouragements. Paul said in Acts 20:19 “Serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials…” It’s clear that even Paul faced many discouragements while ministering and spreading the gospel of Jesus. So how do you overcome discouragement so you can move ahead? We believe that these six principles will expectedly assist you in moving forward and overcoming discouragement.
1. Take time to grow:
- We minister better when we take time to relax, read, recreate, spend time with family and friends, and grow professionally.
2. Sift through criticism:
- While we take informed, constructive criticism seriously, our ministries are too precious to let unbridled criticism sabotage it.
3. Refuse to live with loneliness:
- Make cultivating friendships a priority.
4. Discern the source of your frustration:
- Differentiate the challenges intrinsic to ministry from the frustrations that arise because of differing cultural expectations, educational backgrounds, and philosophies of ministry between pastor and church.
5. Work your plan – then stop:
- Having a long-range plan and carrying it through are the best antidotes to the paralysis of guilt.
- Set a realistic plan and stop with that.
6. Persist:
- When progress seems to come to a halt, think: The Lord wants me to accomplish something here. If we persist, He’ll help me break through to someone in a way that will be rewarding.
Just as Paul did, we can stay faithful till the end. Don’t give up and keep on moving!